PARIS.- The personal collection of Madame Schiaparelli achieved €1,686,250/£1,385,254/$2,298,359 selling 75% by lot and 94% by value. The top lot of the sale was an Italian pair of carved marble models of leopards which sold for €385,000/£316,278/$524,755. The beautiful Man Ray photographs encountered a real success as well as the photograph of Madame Schiaparelli by Horst P. Horst which sold for €40,600/£33,353/$55,338. The suite of three Louis XVI tapestries after François Boucher from the set “aux chinoiseries” sold for €133,000/£109,260/$181,279 against a pre-sale estimate of €20.000-30.000. Elsa Schiaparelli was not only a couturier but also an artist who worked with other artists such as Salvador Dalí, Leonor Fini, Marcel Vertès or Alberto Giacometti whose bronze lamp sold for €169,000/£138,834/$230,347.

The couture selection also realised strong results such as the violet silk blouse from the Astrologie collection which sold for €31,000/£25,467/$42,253 or the collection of Schiaparelli calico patterns which sold for €56,200/£46,168/$76,601 against a pre-sale estimate of €10,000-12,000.

Lionel Gosset, Director of the Collections: “It has been a great honor to pay tribute to the internationally renowned Madame Elsa Schiaparelli by organizing the exhibition and auction of her personal collection. Innovative, Avant-garde and shocking, Elsa Schiaparelli transformed the whole world of couture. More than 600 visitors came to Christie’s Paris to enjoy the beautiful exhibition and the auction attracted bidders from 15 different countries who competed for the range of lots on offer. Her eclectic collection included not only fashion but was also complemented by her furniture and magnificent photographs by Man Ray. We are extremely pleased with the results – particularly for the pair of Italian carved marbles models of Leopards which achieved €385,000, the top lot of the sale.”

Patricia Frost, Director of Christies Fashion Department: “Christie’s were delighted to see the warm welcome in Paris for top examples of the couturier’s art.”